[PRP] Shaky Visions (Msiba / Mchawi) FINISHED

[Kimaria]

The vision came to her as they always did; suddenly and completely unprompted.

When they came she never quite knew what she was going to experience, whether it be something bad, something good or something completely random that she could never make sense of. Such was the life of a seer who had not controlled her powers. The life of a seer who probably never would.

What she saw was blurred but she caught enough of it to know what it was saying. She'd had one of these before, one of these teasing visions that seemed to be telling her what she wanted to know, but was being too subtle to be absoloutely clear.

The loud caw of a raven and flapping of wings startled her and without thinking she lashed out, felt feathers brush past the tips of her paws.

"Nondo!" She scolded, though with the raven her tone was never so harsh. "Didn't I tell you not to bother me?"

The raven was a bird of few words and he said nothing now. Instead he gave an apologetic sort of bow and hopped up to the rocky crags above her head.

She hated it when he did that. At least others had a bit of fight in them, shouted back or drew claws. She didn't like it when he regarded her with those silent eyes. It made her feel terribly guilty. If he'd just defended himself, speaking harshly woudn't have made her feel like this.

But there was no time for that! She had to find her brother.

"Come if you wish." She spoke to the bird before moving away from her shelter amongst the rocks in search of her sibling.

The siblings were close, closer than most. In troubled times Mchawi would go to him and she would now, even if he hadn't been the leader of their little troupe. She could trust him with anything and this was something he needed[/] to know.

Knowing his regular haunts, she began her search, chuffing quietly so that he would hear her coming and call out maybe.

She heard wings skim past her head and knew Nondo had decided to follow. She knew he was curious about what she had seen, though he'd never say it.  

[MoonRazor]

The raucous cawing of the vultures that seemed to fill the sky endlessly, night or day, had slowly begun to get on his nerves. In truth, he had always been nervous around flocks of avians as large as the one that haunted the skies, but Msiba would likely die before he would admit that he was afraid.

As he quite often did, Msiba was taking a walk, although in his mind, it was something between a walk and a patrol of sorts. Simply a walk, he had decided, seemed far too... dull.

He had started out the day, thinking he would go for a hunt in the early morning, but once again, the idea of having to face the greedy vultures was somewhat daunting. Attempting to eat his fill, and keep the birds away, that was not something that seemed particularly like what he wanted to do early in the morning. So instead, he had wiled away some time.

"Not out on the hunt, I see." Msiba winced. He could almost hear the sneer on Werevu's voice. The bird knew how valuable he was to Msiba, and he took full advantage of it. Few chanced speaking to Msiba as Werevu did, and they both knew it. But the cape vulture also knew just how indispensible he was.

"Those damn vultures, Werevu," He replied in place of an explanation, though his voice was tinged with warning. He had to keep the cape vulture around, but that didn't mean he couldn't lash out sometime or other.

Behind him, he heard Werevu rustle his feathers indignantly, and he shook his head. Vanity. At least, he mused, the two of them shared that in common. Although he was sure that if he made the effort to delve deeper, he would find plenty that the two of them shared. After all, they did suit each other more or less perfectly. If they had not, Msiba knew, Werevu would not have so quickly been taken into his confidence. With the exception of Mchawi, few knew more than Werevu did.

"Enjoy your walk, then," Werevu said with a smirk to Msiba's turned back, spreading his wings and lifting off into the sky. He had some business of his own to attend to.

A moment later, he landed in front of his partner, tucking his majestic wings in carefully. So as not to ruffle any feathers out of place, surely. "Your sister," He siad rather imperiously. "And her raven are looking for you."

"Thank you," Msiba nodded, and the cape vulture, once again, lifted into the sky. He watched the vulture go for a moment, and then he opened his muzzle and let out a low roar. One, he knew, Mchawi was familiar with. He often used the same call when looking for her, or at other times letting her know where he was.  

[Kimaria]

Vultures were odd things to lions. The sight of them circling spelt food for a scavenging rogue. It could also mean the death of a friend. They were vicious looking beasts, hunkered, ugly but with a cunning look in their eyes.

However, Mchawi had no intent of letting them show that they made her nervous. If any dared swoop low to attack her she’d make them regret it. She’d remind them who was top of the food chain. Besides, despite the fact that a lot of them acted high and mighty, Mchawi doubted it had even occurred to them that they could work together to bring down their own prey.

They were scavengers and that was that.

Nondo, however, was visibly nervous of them. He always flew low to the ground so as to keep out of range of their claws, made sure to keep out of sight as much as possible. Occasionally a vulture would swoop down as if to grab him. It was only in jest, of course, they seemed to like seeing fear almost as much as Mchawi herself did. In that respect, she was more like the vultures than she had thought.

And then her brother’s roar reached her and she quickened her pace.

Like most, Mchawi thought her brother a charming and wily lion. She trusted him completely and was always eager to bring him news, whether good or bad, to show that she could be trusted too. They’d been through a lot together after all.

And after a minute or so of walking she found him, much to her delight, alone. This gave them the chance to talk in private without risk of anyone interrupting. Whether it was respect or fear, others steered away from them when they spoke. She hoped it was fear.

“Msiba!” She raised her voice a little. “How do you fair?” She came to a halt a few paces from him and the raven settled at her forepaws, turning his head to preen at his wings.

“Do you have time to talk a little, brother?”  

[MoonRazor]

Unlike Nondo, Werevu had no such reservations. He was a vulture, after all, and if any of the birds up in the sky tried so much as flap bad air his way, they would pay dearly. And they seemed to know it too, though the cape vulture kept his flights up into the sky a secret from everyone, save Msiba. And even Msiba did not always have the clearest idea where the cape vulture went, or what he did.

"Mchawi! A little birdy," At this, Msiba's eyes darted heavenward. "Told me you were nearby." He grinned, glad as always to see his sister. Though sometimes he kept that joy hidden. Sometimes it was better not to wear his emotions on his sleeve, as it went. Often, though, he was almost sure that Mchawi could see right through him, and the mask was more to entertain others than anything.

"I always have time to talk," He said graciously, though he knew this wasn't always true. Still, it made him sound like the generous fellow he was supposed to be, and it made him feel the part.

"Talk of what, dear sister?" He added. Then his voice dropped, and his eyes shifted, making absolutely sure that there was no one nearby who would accidentally become privy to information they were not supposed to have. "Of the... One?" He settled, for lack of a better word for the object of their desires.  

[Kimaria]

“Indeed.” She replied tartly, arching a brow as she too looked skyward. “Well at least it ended my search. You can be difficult to locate at times.”

She smiled and came closer, closing the gap between them so that she could speak with a lowered voice. What she had to say was for his ears only. Secrecy was of the utmost importance and it gave her an odd sort of joy to know that she knew things others didn’t.

She didn’t answer his last question straight away. She never did. She liked to weave this little meetings into a story-telling session if she could. Withholding information for the briefest of moments was the only way she could tease her brother.

“I had a vision not long ago.” She curled her tail as she spoke. “A vision that shed a little light on matters.” She smiled and her whiskers flinched upwards.

Nondo, curious as to what they were discussing, had hopped forwards, cocking his head to listen.

“I think—“ The female paused, frowning as she caught sight of the raven. What was wrong with him today? He knew she enjoyed her privacy and here he was disturbing her at every given moment.

She growled low in her throat and shot a cold gaze in his direction.

The raven gave another one of his apologetic bows and flapped up to a rocky ledge to continue his preening.

“Sometimes I think they’re more of a burden than a blessing.” She growled. “Now, where was I?” She turned smiling, teasing eyes back to her brother.  

[MoonRazor]

Msiba shrugged apologetically. "Occupational hazard," He said with a cheeky grin. "Can't be a great hunter if you can be found in the wink of an eye, now can you?"

His eyes brightened and he gazed at Mchawi expectantly as she drew closer. Oh, this was going to be good. This meant there was some information she had to impart, to him and to him only. He enjoyed the secrecy of it all. The fact that there was information only he and his sister were the keepers of lent him a strange sense of power that he rarely felt elsewhere.

His bright eyes melted into a light frown, one that he always wore when she got that look. The one that told him she had ridiculously important things to tell him, but the fact that he knew it meant she wasn't going to tell him... Just yet. She had done the same thing when she had found their entry into the valley, and she was doing the same thing now. Oh, that look.

"A vision, you say?" He echoed leaning in even closer, and completely forgetting the presence of the raven nearby. His eyes glittered eagerly. A vision. This was wonderful. The perks of having a sister that was a seer. Of course, if Mchawi hadn't been a seer, then they wouldn't be here in the first place.

He seemed to snap out of a trance as the sound of the flapping of wings, and he shot the racen a resentful glance. Delays.

"It depends on who you end up with, dear sister," He said in that sugar sweet voice of his. "Mine doesn't seem so much of a burden, does he?" The fact that half the time, Werevu wasn't around, didn't seem to bother Msiba one bit.

"Where were you? You were at a vision." He almost snapped, though he held himself back. Showing signs of frustration would only delay the process.  

[Kimaria]

She pondered on his comment a moment. She truly had no idea whether Werevu was a burden or not. She rarely saw him around and that made her suspicious. At least with Nondo following her around like a helpless little cub she could keep an eye on him.

She had a feeling that there was no ill intent in the raven's behaviour. He was just nosy, liked to stick his beak in where it didn't belong. Maybe he was trying to learn much so he could so he could be more useful. Either way he was obedient and he knew his place. He was more like a polite butler than a raven.

However, when she was in the right mood, she rather enjoyed having the raven around. He didn't talk much and that made him a good listener. Sometimes she liked having someone to talk to, someone who wouldn't make pointless comments. He just sat silently, head canted, beady eyes thoughtful.

She smiled. "Oh yes, the vision." The words ended with a purr.

"You guessed correctly, Msiba. The witch has found the One." Her eyes glittered and she drew closer still. "The vision was not clear, but I saw enough to know what it was trying to tell me." She paused, held the words as if dangling them from a line to bait a fish.

"It's one of the cubs in the pride. One of the royal cubs." She was shivering now with excitement.  

[MoonRazor]

His eyes were glittering almost madly by the time she was done. Oh, the deliciousness of it all! He chuckled as his mind fully processed what she had just told him. This was just too perfect. So perfect, in fact, that he completely forgot about the pause she had only just made him endure. Anything less than this, and he might have snapped haughtily at her.

For a moment, he said nothing, just smiled. And then he seemed to snap out of another trance. "Two things, Mchawi," He said. "First, of course I was right. And second, this is just..." He fished for a word. It wasn't often that Msiba was left speechless, as those near him knew well. "Delicious." He finally said, decided to repeat the first word that had danced through his thoughts, for lack of a better word to use. Twice, already, since Mchawi had found him. What was wrong with him today?

"One of the royals," He murmured, more to himself than anything, though his sister was so close that he was sure she could hear everything he was saying. Perhaps everything he was thinking... He always had a sneaking suspicion that perhaps his dear sister could read his mind. Her and her seer powers. Given that he had none of these powers, he had little idea as to how far they went. "And you're sure? You're... sure it will be of good use?"  

[Kimaria]

She loved it. She loved taunting him with information and watching his face turn from irritation to astonishment and glee. She loved how easily she could control his expressions like that, as if he were her puppet on a string.

She knew that was far from the truth, however. Msiba would do as he pleased and she would let him. Who was she to try and stop him and ruin his fun? After all, they shared common ground. They wanted the same thing.

She gave him a mock bow with her head and returned smiling eyes to him. "You're always right, brother. That's why I do so much to help you. Or maybe it's just that you think so highly of me, you knew I would be bringing nothing but the best of news." She blinked.

"Certain." She nodded confidently. "If my suspicions are correct, the cub is none other than the royal heir, Ufunuo." Her voice had gained an excited edge to it, her lowered voice trembling with the realisation of this discovery. "The seer's powers are strong. Very strong. I couldn't see what he was capable of, but he is the One, brother."  

[MoonRazor]

"Maybe that," He readily agreed, now in the mood for nothing but talk of the "One," as they had so christened the object of their desires. The one that they wanted, and needed, in order for success. Yes, that was definitely far more important than a discussion of just how amazing the two of them were.

So, setting aside trivialities, he returned to the subject. "Royal heir," He almost laughed aloud at how ironic it was all turning out to be. The fact that Mchawi's initial vision had been right was good enough for him. The rest of this, added bonuses. "Well, I can't very well not trust your seer powers, now can I?"

Then he paused, and a frown riddled his brow as, finally, the gravity of what she had just told him sunk in.

"The royal heir, Mchawi..." He said with a small shake of his head. "How... are we supposed to get our seer if he is the royal heir? The heir." He said, emphasizing the last word, as if Mchawi didn't understand. It was the heir, dammit!  

[Kimaria]

"Think brother, think!" She stood now, paced back and forth a little, casting her gaze up to where the raven still sat preening. "I have to admit that it is unfortunate. Being the heir is certainly going to make things difficult." And she added hastily, "but not impossible. Never impossible." She shook her head to dispel such negativity. "We've come so far now. If there is a way we will think of it."

She returned to his side and sat, glancing up at the raven who had paused in his grooming to look down at them. There was a rare intelligence in his eyes, a silent intelligence that told her he had possibly overheard enough to get a feeling for their 'secret'.

"Okay Nondo. Come down where I can see you."

The raven stood and obediently glided to the floor, landing before the two lions and giving a small, gracious bob of his head.

"How much did you hear?"

"Nothing, mistress." Another bow.

"Nonsense." She frowned, curling a lip to bear a single fang.

"Some, mistress, I admit it."

"I would send you away if I were so bold as to do it. But I am not. Besides three minds are better than none. You've been sitting on that ledge of yours for too long. Lend your wisdom if needed."

The raven said nothing in reply, he did not even bow. He hopped backwards, settled himself more comfortably and glanced between the two siblings curiously.

Mchawi returned her gaze to her brother. "We could try to win him over." She suggested after a moment. "Or, you could." She laughed. "You got all the charm, I'd more than likely scare the child than lure him to help us. You were born to charm even the most grouchiest of creatures, Msiba. It might be worth a try."  

[MoonRazor]

Msiba stared warily at the raven. Those he did not know, he did not trust. And until he found some way to get to know them, or they him, he would not trust them. Still, Mchawi seemed to hold Nondo in high esteem for a bird, and she trusted him enough to allow him to join the conversation. That couldn't mean little.

"Charm the thing?" He said, considering it for a moment with a smile. He could always leave it up to Mchawi to come up with ideas that somehow seemed to make perfect sense, yet none at all at the same time. "Charm it enough to leave with us? That could prove a little more difficult, no?"

His gaze flickered once more to Nondo, and Msiba fell silent again, as his mind worked away, attempting to find a suitable way to get this royal seer under their power. They needed him, so failure was not an option. Nor was drawing a blank.

It was at this time that Werevu decided to make his reentry. Folding his wings partways while he was still slightly above the trio, the cape vulture lowered himself down to the ground behind Msiba, tucked in his wings, and made his way forward to join into the conversation.

Without turning, Msiba greeted the vulture once more. "Werevu," He said, flickering an ear back toward the sound of the bird's arrival.

"Indeed." The vulture said tartly, stopping next to Msiba's forepaws. It seemed to Msiba that one of the vulture's greatest talents was always being able to drop in at either the very best or the very worst times.

"I take it you heard," Msiba said flatly, his gaze shifting to the cape vulture, who stared fixedly back and nodded. "Of course you did..." Msiba tried to keep the scowl out of his voice. Birds and eavesdropping.

"You know, you could always... take the thing by force." Werevu voiced.

"Like, kidnap it?"

"Him, I think the correct term would be. And yes, why not? Or charm him first, and then kidnap him. What do I care? It's just a suggestion."  

[Kimaria]

Mchawi only just managed to hold back a growl of annoyance. This creature was the same as those ghastly creatures flying above her head and yet at the same time...he was not. He was Msiba's bonded just as Nondo was hers and that granted him a little respect.

Only a little, mind you.

Beside her, Nondo gave a nervous caw and ducked between her forepaws, peering out fearfully at the cape vulture. He wasn't too proud to show that he knew who was boss...and it certainly wasn't him.

Mchawi sneered. "Take it by force?" She exhaled sharply and stood, upsetting the raven who had been sheltering himself against her stomach. "Why bother when we have Msiba's talents? He could charm monkeys out of trees with that tongue of his." Her hackles flinched a little but she made no move towards them.

"Do you realise how dangerous it would be to kidnap the cub?" She growled. "This isn't just a cub from any litter. It's one of importance. If our plot were discovered they'd come looking for blood..." And then realisation sank in.

"Wait...maybe that vulture of yours is onto something." She paused, seated herself once more and curled her tail around so it created a protective circle around the raven. "Think about this a moment, Msiba. If you were to take a cub, who would you expect to come after you?" Her smile had turned sly, dark.  

[MoonRazor]

Werevu, having noticed Nondo's little caw, smiled grimly and bowed his head ever so slightly. "Why, thank you, I'm flattered." He said, hauling himself into a more upright position, one befit of rank. That was much better.

He stood where he was, silently, as he watched Mchawi slowly come to embrace the idea. Then, with a self-satisfied look, he let himself more or less deflate from the pompous pose he had struck earlier. Comfortable.

Msiba tilted his head. "The... entire pride?" He asked, wondering what Mchawi had latched onto, but already beginning to have his own suspicions. "The entire royal family? The entire anything?"

He was, after all, being reasonable. And he hadn't been the one who had suggested somehow or other coercing the cub into joining them. It was, after all, the royal heir, and when one spoke of such things as kidnapping a royal heir, there were bound to be repercussions.

"But what has that got to do with anything? What are you going to do, hold the thing hostage?"  

[Kimaria]

She cackled then, the sound complimenting the meaning of her name. She couldn't believe their recent string of good luck. The earthquake had proved a blessing, allowing them to enter the valley. Msiba had managed to charm his way in and now the vision to show them the object of their very desire.

But on top of all that, the earthquake had done something else.

"The first to notice would be the siblings." She continued darkly, "and like all cubs should, their first intention would be to find their parents." Her smile grew wider. "And where are his parents?" She didn't wait for an answer, she seemed to be on a role now. The words spilled from her mouth as if she could barely control them.

"The earthquake has scared and disturbed the pride. Lions and lionesses are concentrating their efforts on hunting or worrying. Who would notice a cub was missing until it was too late?"

Another laugh. "We could lure it from it's siblings and one of us could spirit it away. I'd offer myself, since I think it's important that we stay in sight, act normal, act innocent...We'd have to take in turns caring for it so as not to raise suspision." One could see the wheels of her mind turning, searching for every flaw, every problem and matching them to solutions.